Is Nothing Sacred?

This is the place where I discuss all things Sacred and Profane. Stop by and check me out. Leave a comment (or not), as this is done for my own amusement. If you too are entertained, all the better, but that is not the motivation here. For I, am a...Writer with attitude! Comics, Sci Fi, movies, TV, Books, the Internet, Pop Culture, you name it. I talk about all of these things and more. These are the things that entertain me. I can only hope that some of them will entertain you as well.

Thursday, August 29, 2024

Mort Todd Talks About Making Comics

This is another of my older articles from a website that I am no longer associated with, so I wanted to repost it here. This article is from 2015

Mort Todd has made his career in comics, animation, and entertainment. As a youth, he began drawing and writing comics and working as editor of his camp newspaper. Then in high school he drew ads and record covers for local clubs and bands. As a teen, he moved to New York City and began creating classic garage punk album covers from Crypt Records. At 23 he became the Editor-in-Chief of Cracked magazine working with legendary artists like John Severin, Bill Ward and Steve Ditko. Todd went on to make headlines by getting renowned Mad Magazine artist, Don Martin, after a 32-year career to jump ship from Mad to join Cracked.

Currently, Mort’s media company Comicfix develops licensed properties for publishing, film, TV and animation. For the last year, Comicfix has been putting out an eclectic variety of comics, mixing the classical aspects of the comics people grew up with, along with a modern sensibility. The incredible talent involved ranges from legends of the comics industry, to some very familiar names as well as promising new talent. We personally got the opportunity to meet Mort when he headed up Marvel Comic’s music comic division (pitching him a possible adaptation of Meatloaf’s Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell album), and recently got to chance to ask Mort about Comicfix and some of his other on-going projects, including resurrecting Charlton Comics with the help of his friends, including Roger McKenzie and Paul Kupperberg.

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Robert J Sodaro: You have a long history in comics ranging from editor-in-chief of Cracked magazine, and Marvel Music to having worked on Superman, Spider-Man, Barbie, and Looney Tunes. Now you are the owner of Comicfix, a media company. How did you go from one to the other, or is your work with Comicfix merely an outgrowth of your earlier comicbook work?

Mort Todd: Ever since I was a youngster, I’ve been interested in every kind of media: TV, film, animation, music and print, and I’ve been fortunate to dabble in all of it. Comicfix is indeed an outgrowth of what I’ve done and an outlet to create the above mentioned media.

RJS: You recently launched a crowd-sourcing fund-raiser on patron.com entitled Mort Todd is creating comic books and graphic novels, where you are seeking funding for a couple of distinct lines of comics. Tell us what that is all about.

MT: I started Comicfix in 2000 to develop comic properties for TV, film, and licensing. Over the years I’ve collaborated with a variety of creators with the same goal. While initially Comicfix featured all my own properties, I’ve launched some distinctive other imprints under the Comicfix umbrella. Writer Brad Hamlin had created a full line of characters, the Secret Society, for the web and print that I’ve visualized under the Mystery Island brand. I did some work in the ‘80s for publisher Ron Frantz and his B&W ACE Comics line and we’ve partnered up to re-release some of those titles in color and create new ones. And a group of like-minded nuts have come together to reanimate the spirit of Charlton Comics with our Charlton Neo line. There’s a lot of cost in creating these comics and not a lot of reward until you make some progress. The Patron campaign is to attract fans of what we’re doing and to help operating costs until we can reach a wider audience.

RJS: How can people contribute to that, and how is that campaign going?

MT: Like a lot of grass-root campaigns it’s had a slow start, but is growing as people hear about it. Those interested can go to the link you mentioned above and donate whatever they want, from $1.00 up, to be a patron of the comic arts. For a dollar they get access to our Pix-c web comic site where we have over a dozen strips with new episodes posted weekly by a bunch of talented creators doing comics ranging from heroes to horror and humor. Donate more and you get print comics, posters, t-shirts and even original art.

RJS: What do you think is the fascination with a company like Charlton Comics? Sure, a bunch of creators came out of the company, when it was operating years ago, but why do people (pros and fans alike) seem to care so much about this company and its characters?

MT: Charlton was always the underdog when compared to bigger publishers like Marvel and DC. As a smaller company they were more willing to experiment with their titles and try out concepts the larger companies wouldn’t do. And the creators had the freedom to do more wild stuff than they would be able to with the big guys.

RJS: With the help of guys like Paul Kupperberg and Roger McKenzie the Charlton line really seems to be taking off, you have three titles either out or in the works and have more on the way. Do you think that you’ll actually be able to resurrect the company as a going concern, or do you just plan on publishing “Charlton-themed” comics?

MT: We’ll be putting out at least six Charlton Neo titles a year, and hope to increase the output if response warrants it. Like the original Charlton, we’re such a small concern that creators are free to do their own thing, and all the features are creator-owned. The Charlton Arrow is an anthology book featuring a mix of genres. Charlton Wild Frontier is a Western comic featuring some Charlton characters like Cheyenne Kid and Kid Montana along with new ones. Paul Kupperberg’s Secret Romances is an oddball romance title with all stories written by Paul and a bunch of different artists. In the works are Charltoons, a funny animal book, and Roger McKenzie’s Total Frenzy Comics and Unusual Suspense. The last two titles are print versions of some Pix-C strips, including revamps of some Charlton characters. Also with ACE Comics, we’re reprinting Charlton’s Hot Rod comics from the ‘60s. Ron Frantz acquired the rights and we are printing from Charlton’s silver prints, used to publish the original comics.

RJS: Who currently owns the licenses to those characters, and how do you get to use the Charlton name and characters if you guys don’t own the license?

MT: Charlton went out of business in the late ‘80s, so a lot of the material is in the public domain. They did sell off some of their assets to others, most notably their action heroes like Blue Beetle and Captain Atom to DC Comics, so we stay away from those and utilize their less well-known, but still beloved, characters.

RJS: In addition to Charlton, you are also publishing ACE Comics and comics under the Comicfix logo, can you tell us what those comicbook lines are about, and how they differ from the Charlton titles.

MT: ACE features the properties owned by Ron Frantz, including Skyman and the Face, which were drawn by Steve Ditko in the ‘80s. We’re also reprinting some of those character’s Golden Age stories to celebrate their 75^th anniversary this year. Ron also has many great titles that were scheduled but never released back then that we’ll be putting out, like an incredible graphic novel by C.C. Beck. A few of the ACE titles are reprints, like the Classic Hot Rod and Racing Car Comics, but we have some new material planned as well. Comicfix does a little of everything, from horror to photo comics and tend to be the properties I’ve personally created or own.

RJS: Do you think your ability to attract both seasoned pros and newbie creators to these titles has to do with the overly-corporate nature of the current state of comics?

MT: Sure. Comics are mostly superhero titles now, with stifling continuity. Our books offer creators the opportunity to expand the comic medium with different concepts and characters and try out things you couldn’t do at the “majors.”

RJS: It seems that the Big Two are allowing seasoned pros with extraordinary talent to slip out of their grasp, do you think that has to do with a perception that “older” creators are simply passé, and perceived (either by the corporations or by the fans) as no longer being relevant?

MT: When I got into the industry in the ‘80s it appeared that if you had been doing comics for the last 20 years, Marvel and DC weren’t interested in using you and they were in search of the “hot” new talent. People like Steve Ditko and Gene Colan couldn’t find regular assignments and I was glad to work with them. And it hasn’t changed since then; the “hot” artists of the ‘80s & ‘90s now find it hard to get work. Again, I’m more than happy to work with anybody that has talent.

RJS: Do you see the revival of Charlton, Ace Comics, and Comicfix to be viable concerns and that you’ll be able to increase your audience share as you move forward?

MT: For sure! Comics are more popular than ever, but more limited than ever. Mainstream comics aren’t too attractive to a wide audience as they are all about superheroes and have a vast continuity with never-ending chapters that potential customers can’t just dip into. Our books have shorter stories, more variety, usually told in under 10 pages, so the casual reader can read a complete adventure without having to buy 50 issues of crossovers. There is a wider potential audience for these kinds of comics than the current hardcore comic fan market attracts.

RJS: Any plans of getting Diamond distribution?

MT: Indeed. That is one of the goals of the Patron campaign, to be able to fund print runs and sell via Diamond.

RJS: Given that distribution for Independent, small press, and “non-corporate” comics is so difficult (and that Diamond’s rules and regulations are so restrictive) do you foresee any chance of a new distributor stepping up to handle the comics that Diamond doesn’t or won’t distribute?

MT: Possibly. We’re also looking into alternate distribution to reach those who wouldn’t normally enter a comics shop. Of course it would help to have a property that is also exposed on other media platforms like TV, film, or animation and we’re working on that, too!

RJS: With Hollywood looking at comics as its new source material, do you think that Indy comics stand a chance against corporate comics in that marketplace?

MT: Yes. Good story-telling will always sell. And a surprising number of independent, non-superhero comics are making it to the theater and TV screens.

RJS: What (else) are you doing to get attention and distribution for your line(s) of comics? And what else do you think is a viable way to get your comics out into the marketplace.

MT: Licensing is the best way to get your product known outside of comic fandom. We’re close to signing a film deal for one of our titles Sadistik, The Diabolikal Super-Kriminal, which is a photo comic with a worldwide cult following. I’m confident that with a successful release it will open the floodgates with others looking at our properties and in turn attracting readers to our books.

RJS: How difficult is it for Indy/Small Press comics to get out into comic shops?

MT: It’s mostly an issue of capital. It takes a bit of money to get the ball rolling what with having to bankroll editorial, printing, and promotional costs for a while before you see any return. And it also helps to have some content that people will actually like and look forward to with continued release!

Robert J. Sodaro is a noted comicbook historian and journalist who began reading comics during the early ‘60s while sitting on the newsstand in his Uncle’s “Mom & Pop” grocery store. He has written about them for virtually every print comicbook publication published during the ‘80s & ‘90s.

Thursday, June 06, 2024

Mike (“The Bloody Red”) Baron talks Comics, Books, and More!

This is another article of mine in a long line of much older articles/interviews that appeared on another site with which I am no longer associated. I am re-posting it here to not only refresh it, for those who may have missed it the first time around, but in an effort to consolidate my online work under my own imprint. This interview was conducted back on May 16^th, 2016.

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When we first “met” Mike Baron it was in 1981, when he and artist Steve “The Dude” Rude delivered the comicbook Nexus into our comic shop (no, not personally, but you get what we mean). That series explored a world that was weirdly-eclectic mashup of superhero and science fiction genres, which was set some 500 years into the future. This was followed (in 1983) by the appearance of The Badger who was (at least nominally) a superhero — although not like we had ever before seen. Perhaps what attracted us personally most about Baron (aside from his very engaging, entertaining, and totally off-the-wall approach to comics archetypes), was that he chose to enter the field, not through the previously-established “corporate” comics (Marvel, DC) but via Indie comics (the newly-minted Capital City, as well as later via Dark Horse, Image, and IDW).

Eventually, he did go on to write for Marvel (Punisher, Star Wars), DC (Action, Atlantis Attacks), Valiant (Archer & Armstrong), and others, but he has always been most strongly associated with, and known for Nexus and Badger. Most recently, Baron has switched over from writing most-excellent comics to penning amazingly engaging prose novels, and (as can be expected) has begun to build up a very impressive body of work in this field. Over the years we have had the privilege of not only getting to interview Baron on a couple of occasions, but to actually “friending” him on Facebook and engaging in quite a number of very spirited debates. Having read three of his prose novel (Helmet Head, Whack Job, and Disco — Biker and Skorpio are next we once again find ourselves caught up in the world of Mike Baron, and frankly, we wanted to share our love of his work with all of you.

Between the time we conducted this interview and it appearing on the web, we learned that all Baron’s Josh Pratt novels, beginning with a reissue of Biker will be republished by Liberty Island Press. Not only that, but he has also re-launched Badger through Devil’s Due/1First Comics.

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Robert J. Sodaro: After years, and years in the comicbook market, writing for not only, Creator-owned, Indie books (that you own), but for what we’ve come to call “Corporate” comics, you have switched over to writing prose novels. Can you tell us why?

Mike Baron: It was my original goal. I have been trying to write novels since college, but it wasn’t until I went through rough times and moved to Colorado that I understood the form. Peter Brandvold the Western writer was instrumental in pounding into me several important lessons, the most important of which is show don’t tell. It took me a long time to find my voice and themes but when they kicked in it was like a thunderclap going off in my skull. I’ve written about the process, which you can find on my blog at www.bloodyredbaron.net.

RJS: Is there a fundamental difference between writing a script for a comicbook and writing a prose novel, and if so, could you give us a brief explanation of what that difference is?

MB: There is a huge difference. Comics are a very forgiving form. I could write comics from the gitgo, even though my method was to simply start drawing the comic out by hand on a legal pad while high on cocaine and vodka. Working panel by panel taught me about pacing, the importance of showing. The bulk of my work on Nexus and Badger was free-style. I now outline my comic book stories beginning to end. In writing a novel, I make notes months in advance. I work up a fairly detailed outline. I boil it down to a blurb. “Wagon Train in space” (Star Trek.) “Nazi biker zombies” (Helmet Head.) “A ghost who only appears under a blazing sun” (Skorpio.) But these are mere hooks to ensnare and intrigue. My outline covers the entire story, the characters’ motivations and personalities, the beats, the bridges, and the hooks. Novels require concentration. Every word must add to the story. I now apply this to comics, but we have all loved comics where the dialogue doesn’t track with the pictures and comics where it tracks too well.

When I start a novel, I buy a new notebook which I fill with story points, beats, names, technology I intend to use, helpful domain names, and memorable names I made up or got from daytime television. I consult the notebook as I write the novel.

RJS: Do you approach the writing of each differently or is the difference in the execution of the story rather than in its inception?

MB: It depends on the story. Skorpio incorporates a diary of an 18^th century, 22-year-old Portuguese explorer. I read 18^th century manuscripts to get in my explorer’s head, to speak with his voice — a young man of letters in a wilderness. When the story snaps back to the present the contemporary voice takes over. I try to convey the maximum in information and emotion with the minimum words. I use a very close point of view, as Pete taught me. When you look at the great illustrators, like Alex Toth, Mike Norton or Steve Rude, they are trying to do the same thing with their brush strokes.

RJS: With a comic you have a collaborator (the artist) do you prefer writing alone or with a collaborator?

MB: I often ask an artist, what do you want to draw? If the artist has good ideas I will incorporate them but I usually trust my own voice on dialogue and captions.

RJS: Your comics were largely superhero/sci-fi, but your books tend towards more to mystery, crime drama, and at least one story we’re going to call “family Friendly/Young Adult” What cause the switch? Why not stick with superheroes and /or sci-fi?

MB: One reason is that comics are uniquely suited to superheroes and sci-fi. Sure there have been superhero novels, but they don’t pack the punch of the comic. This is one area in which comics excel. I’m seeking to broaden my audience. John D. MacDonald is one of my influences and I have tried to channel his ability to touch the pulse of evil and tell his story in an elegiac, almost mournful voice. I was a MacDonald fan before I discovered comics. He inspired me to write crime stories like Biker, and its sequels, Sons of Privilege and Not Fade Away. I will adapt Biker later this year for Comicmix with artist Chris-Cross.

RJS: Can you tell us a little bit about Helmet Head, Whack Job, Biker, and Banshees?

MB: Helmet Head—Nazi biker zombies! Whack Job—spontaneous human combustion and international espionage! Biker—grim crime stuff. Banshees—a satanic rock band comes back from the dead. Those are elevator descriptions. Helmet Head began life as a screenplay, a fresh take on the slasher genre. I have always loved horror, ever since my sister Ellen Jo dragged me to see The Horror of Dracula when I was eight. Scared the shit out of me! I love a good Stephen King or Robert M. McCammon novel, and have tried to bring a fresh take to the horror genre with Helmet Head and Skorpio, which is about a ghost who only appears under a blazing sun.

Banshees has been with me a long time and is my longest book. Rock and horror go together like cocaine and vodka or peanut butter and jelly. Whack Job, which has horror elements, is an idea I’ve had for decades, but it took me a long time to not only find my voice but to find the story. When I found it I shrieked EUREKA! and did the funky chicken. Whack Job has plot twist that will make your head explode. Biker combines my love of motorcycles with the modern noir of John D. My protagonist Josh Pratt is a motorcycle hoodlum who went to prison and found Jesus. He is the opposite of a smart-ass.

RJS: Can you tell us a little bit about Disco, which, by your own admission, is a decidedly different kind of story for you.

MB: I wanted to do a dog story. Ann [Mike’s wife – RJS] kept bugging me to write something she could read. Ann has no patience for gore, crime, and evil. Disco is about a kid who trains an abandoned puppy to become world disc dog champion. It is Rocky for dogs, and my shot at a YA novel, although I wrote it to please myself, as all writers must. It has universal appeal. There’s sex and violence, but I’ve tried to keep it to “PG-13.” Or at least refer to it as romance and action.

RJS: Which of your prose novels have been published?

MB: Helmet Head, Whack Job, Biker, and Skorpio. Wordfire Press will bring out Banshees in the fall. All are available on Amazon.

RJS: Was it an easy jump from comics to prose?

MB: Hells no!

RJS: Having already established yourself as a writer did you have difficult to cross over into prose or do you think that your comicbook writing count against you because it is “just” comics?

MB: Doesn’t count against me. Helps, actually. Modern publishers respect comics. The only difficult part was learning how to write, but having learned, it is as natural as breathing.

RJS: Which do you prefer, comics or prose?

MB: I like ‘em both.

RJS: You’ve been teasing us with a return of your signature characters, Nexus and Badger (With Badger having made a brief appearance in Disco) when can we expect to see them reappear in comicbook format?

MB: It looks like December for Badger. Why? You’d have to ask First. One reason is that they’re waiting for all issues to be done so they can gang print them. Another is the sorry saga of artists flaking off, burning out, or self-imploding during the construction of the series.

Nexus will return later this year in an online version courtesy of Rude Dude, and will be reprinted as Sunday tabloids to subscribers.

RJS: With all of the comicbook-to-film movies out there, can we expect to see either a Nexus or a Badger film in our future

MB: We have a tentative deal with a Hong Kong-based production company for a Badger movie.

RJS: Any advice for other comicbook writers who want to jump into the prose market?

MB: Oodles! Get a copy of Elements of Style. Listen to how people really talk. Show, don’t tell. Be original. Keep a close point of view. Avoid the passive tense. Find that rhythm. As in popular song, dynamics are the key. What are dynamics? They are variations in key, mood and tempo that create anticipation, and release. Successful fiction, like a good pop song, depends on tension and release.